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pellucid definition

Overview

This page has 7 definitions of pellucid in English. Pellucid is an adjective and noun. Also define these 0 related words and terms: .

English

Etymology

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Latin pellūcidus, perlucidus (transparent, pellucid; very bright; very understandable), from per- (prefix meaning ‘through; throughout; completely, thoroughly’) + lūcidus (clear; full of light, bright, shining; (figuratively) easily understood, clear, lucid)[1] (from lūceō (to shine; to become visible, show through; (figuratively) to be apparent, conspicuous, or evident) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (bright; to see; to shine)) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’ forming adjectives)).

The noun is derived from the adjective.[1]

Pronunciation

Adjective

pellucid (comparative more pellucid, superlative most pellucid) (literary)

  1. Allowing the passage of light; translucent or transparent.
    Synonyms: clear, limpid, lucid, (rare) perspicuous; see also Thesaurus:transparent
    Antonyms: see Thesaurus:opaque
  2. (figuratively)
    1. Easily understood; clear.
      Synonyms: crystal clear, lucid, perspicuous, translucent; see also Thesaurus:comprehensible
      Antonyms: see Thesaurus:incomprehensible
      • 1994 November 13, Fritz Lanham, The Houston Chronicle, Houston, Tex.: Houston Chronicle Pub. Co., ISSN 1074-7109, OCLC 1607806:
        Written in spare, pellucid prose, the book reads like a close-to-the-bone memoir.
      • 1999, Judith Butler, “Preface (1999)”, in Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, New York, N.Y.; Abingdon, Oxon., published 2015, →ISBN, page xxvi:
        [Y]ou never receive me apart from the grammar that establishes my availability to you. If I treat that grammar as pellucid, then I fail to call attention precisely to that sphere of language that establishes and disestablishes intelligibility, and that would be precisely to thwart my own project as I have described it to you here.
    2. Of music or some other sound: not discordant or harsh; clear and pure-sounding.
    3. Of a person, their mind, etc.: able to think and understand clearly; not confused; clear, sharp.
    4. (archaic) Easily recognized or seen through; apparent, obvious.
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:obvious
      Antonyms: see Thesaurus:subtle

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

pellucid (plural pellucids)

  1. (obsolete, rare) Something which allows the passage of light; a translucent or transparent object.
    • 1729, [Johann Jacob Hainlin], “Of the Vision of Pellucidity or Shining through”, in Venterus Mandey, transl., Synopsis Mathematica Universalis: Or, A Brief System of Mathematics, [], [3rd] edition, London: [] A. Ward, [], OCLC 224397196, paragraph 1, page 686:
      A Pellucid is not ſeen, but percieved[sic] by the privation of Colour. So vve ſee not Air in Air, VVater in VVater, Glaſs in Glaſs, and every Pellucid in an equal Pellucid; and becauſe vve knovv they are not coloured, vve count them to be diaphanous, viz. that may be ſeen, or ſhone thorough.
    • [1735?], Herman Boerhaave, “Being a Delineation of the Theory. [Of Stones.]”, in [anonymous], transl., Elements of Chemistry. Being the Annual Lectures of Hermann Boerhaave, M.D. [], volume I, London: [] J. Clarke [], and S. Austen []; and sold by J. Roberts [], OCLC 316734458, page 33:
      The true Aſtroites, vvhich in the ſun-ſhine throvvs out a briſk light radiating from one certain point, belongs to the claſs of Pellucids.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 pellucid, adj. and n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “pellucid, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading